Green Route ZA

26/08/2025

I am a huge fan of community projects and non-profits with a social conscience. This week my community spotlight is on Welcome Glen Farmhouse near Glencairn in Cape Town.

Five years ago, Welcome Glen residents applied to restore a National Monument building in their neighbourhood to set up a community centre for residents. A place where people could meet for coffee and a chat, buy some locally-made crafts or browse the secondhand clothing rail. They also wanted a space for co-working and workshops. And they’ve done it.

Welcome Glen Farmhouse opened its doors after five years of restoration work, and it is a very welcoming space.

I took a friend there for coffee and a catch-up. Okay, I also had some delicious baked cheesecake covered in chocolate ganache, topped with raspberries. The coffee was excellent, and the chat was good. We met Conway Lotter, chairperson of the Welcome Glen Community Voluntary Association committee, and I recognised him from Collaborate in Kommetjie Road, Fish Hoek.

On a second visit, I had an open toastie with mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and pesto. Delicious, and the coffee was excellent, again.

Welcome Glen Farmhouse

Welcome Glen Farmhouse opens doors to neighbours

19/08/2025

The quarterly Friends of Silvermine Nature Area Community Work Party met on May 31. The focus of the 2-hour session was alien clearing in the wetlands, as well as a propagation workshop offered by Fay Howa, from the City of Cape Town’s Recreation and Parks Department.

Fay demonstrated how to propagate plants suitable for the wetland area between Fish Hoek and Clovelly.

Power of community propagation creates plants for wetland area

17/08/2025

ITV News' Becky Mantin takes a look back at the summer of 2025, with the UK now in its fourth heatwave.

Temperatures peaked at 35 degrees in July, and millions have found themselves placed under hosepipe bans.

In this film, ITV News looks at those making the most of the sunny skies, as well as those put at risk by the warm weather.

And we look at why the country is experiencing these consistently high temperatures, and what we can do to adapt in the future.

ITV News' Becky Mantin takes a look back at the summer of 2025, with the country now in its fourth heatwave.Temperatures peaked at 35 degrees in July, and mi...

12/08/2025

The best type of tourism is just down the road.
We went to Simon’s Town for an amble along Main Road. My favourite clothing shop, Anemone, where a local makes lovely things, was closed, but I’ll be back. (Anemone is open from 10.30am to 3.30pm, Wednesdays through Sundays, so plan your slow visit accordingly.)

Discovered restored boutique hotel, Willett’s Hotel, serves great coffee and carrot cake (not too much cream cheese icing, just the way I like it) in a secluded courtyard to the side of the hotel.

We bought a vintage lamp for our new office space from Die Hangkas, an antique shop, and popped in to see Jellyfish (a ‘lifestyle’ store which also sells olive oil, olives, and unique jams), before buying quiches from my favourite patisserie, The Sweetest Thing.

I got the blue cheese and leek quiche (most excellent) and my patient partner chose a savoury mushroom quiche (also delicious). I treated myself to a fresh fruit flan/patisserie for after lunch. As good as any Parisian tart.

We also found an eco-conscious laundry, The Green Laundry Room, at 128 Main Road.

Read the rest at the link in bio or below, where I talk about human-baboon interaction, NEAG's Mind the Gap poster, and Friends of Silvermine Nature Area's next clean-up session in the wetlands between Fish Hoek and Clovelly.

Seeking green spaces and eco-friendly places

11/08/2025

Sample slow life in Simon's Town in tomorrow's free-to-read Substack newsletter.
We went to Simon’s Town for an amble along the main road. My favourite clothing shop, Anemone, where a local makes lovely things, was closed, but I’ll be back. (Anemone is open from 10.30am to 3.30pm, Wednesdays through Sundays, so plan your slow visit accordingly.)

11/08/2025

ZANÈLE BOSCH | CHRONIC PAIN & GUT HEALTH SPECIALIST, TRADITIONAL HEALER, DOCTOR OF BOTANICAL MEDICINE

𖡼 What happens when ancient wisdom meets modern science?
𖡼 What if your gut holds the key to healing your pain, emotions, and energy?

With deep roots in both ancestral plant medicine and modern therapies (such as osteopathy, craniosacral therapy, and quantum medicine), Dr. Zanèle Bosch offers a unique, whole-person approach in answering these questions.

Currently completing her Ph.D. in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, her research explores the intricate relationship between the gut microbiome, chronic pain, and emotional health; a topic she brings to life at this year’s Herb Fest. 🦠🧠

Her talk - ‘MICROBIOME MEETS MOTHERLAND’ - connects Traditional African healing with the latest science on the gut-brain connection.

🌿 In this enlightening session, she’ll explore the physiological impact of stress, emotions, and the nervous system, offering practical, plant-based interventions and lifestyle tools rooted in both African herbal traditions and global integrative practices.

🌿 If you’re struggling with chronic pain, intrigued by the mind-gut connection, or simply passionate about natural healing, this is a talk for you.

🌿 Don’t miss this chance to learn from one of the most integrative minds in holistic health.

📌 Date | Sunday, 31st August
📌 Venue | The Archive at The Old Mission Church
📌 Time | 11h30 - 12h30

🎟️ Ticket sales for all speaker sessions are available on Quicket:
https://tinyurl.com/5n8373w8, or from Andrea at the Old Mission Chuch

11/08/2025

Meet Jo Hunter Adams from Cape Town, South Africa 🇿🇦

05/08/2025

The sand used to blow across the road and would need sweeping up most mornings to allow cars to pass. Now the sand stays in the dunes, anchored by indigenous plants that grow in the sand. Windbreaks protect the plantings.

This is prevention, mitigation, and preparation for climate change in action. When the windbreaks went up, there was a lot of grumbling from the grumblers who don’t like change.

Steadily rising sea levels pose a threat to coastal communities in South Africa. To combat this City of Cape Town contracted a company to plant up dunes on Fish Hoek and Clovelly beach with indigenous, waterwise plants.

See the bigger picture

26/07/2025

“There is always going to be an environmental cost to our food. But it’s important for people to know that you actually can make an enormous difference if you want to.”

Curbing waste, eating a plant-rich diet and limiting ultra-processed food (and sadly, coffee and chocolate) will dramatically reduce your carbon footprint

26/07/2025

Green Route ZA is an organic network of eco-conscious people working towards making the world a better place. It’s a simple concept that relies on the basic principle of “caring is sharing”. We support eco-NPOs, zero-waste stores, and sustainable living.

I'm looking for a path to eco-conscious living. We only have one planet, there is no Plan B. Click to read Green Route ZA, by Melanie Farrell, a Substack publication. Launched 2 years ago.

22/07/2025

"On the second day of filming, I broke for lunch before everybody else. All the animals I’d worked with that morning were on the table, cut up, fricasseed, roasted and seared. That was when I decided to become a vegan."

‘I broke for lunch before everybody else and all the animals I had been working with were on the table – cut up, fricasseed, roasted and seared’